John Ruskey came to Mississippi to discover the blues. After repeatedly seeing the town of Clarksdale on most of his blues records, he packed his bags and went south, guitar in hand. After years of living in Clarksdale as a blues historian, he suddenly had another calling. This time, it was the Mississippi River (or the "gut of America" as he likes to say).
John and his lead guide, former college All-American and NFL linebacker, Mark "River" Peoples paddle down the Mississippi River on exploratory adventures year round. Their goal is to change the misconceptions of the river while leaving their fellow explorers with lifelong lessons.